ethenol after winter.

[jmp71]

Has anyone experienced any problems with the ethenol gas after this winter?
[signature]

[davetclown]

it is vary important you use a fuel stablizer in your gas if you plan on keeping it over winter. the alcohal wants to evaprate from the fuel.

most all gas now is part ethenol. here in michigan we run a higher precentage because of polution agreements with canada....
[signature]

[tomc]

here is some problems the hawaii is dealing with
[font "Times New Roman, Times, serif"][#000000]
Boat owners are particularly vulnerable. And in the past year, Hawai'i boaters have faced a wide range of new problems: [/#000000][/font][font "Times New Roman, Times, serif"][#000000] [/#000000][/font][font "Times New Roman, Times, serif"][#000000][li] Ethanol that has more than a half percent of moisture introduced into it suffers "phase separation." The water pulls the ethanol and some hydrocarbons into a bottom layer that's difficult for engines to burn — while the lighter fuel floats on top. [/li][/#000000][/font][font "Times New Roman, Times, serif"][#000000]
"Alcohol attracts water like a sponge, and marine engines are surrounded by water all of the time, obviously," Hoevel said. "You're left with contaminated, junk gas." [/#000000][/font][font "Times New Roman, Times, serif"][#000000] [/#000000][/font][font "Times New Roman, Times, serif"][#000000][li] Fuel that has experienced phase separation should not be reused, but engine owners have no cheap way to dispose of it. Some boat owners have received quotes of $300 and $350 for private disposal companies to safely get rid of 18 gallons of contaminated ethanol. [/li][/#000000][/font][font "Times New Roman, Times, serif"][#000000] [/#000000][/font][font "Times New Roman, Times, serif"][#000000][li] Ethanol acts as an efficient solvent that cleans out the accumulated gunk in fuel systems, which ends up clogging carburetors. The repairs can cost boat owners $500 and up. (New engines with fuel injection systems seem to handle ethanol without problems.) [/li][/#000000][/font][font "Times New Roman, Times, serif"][#000000] [/#000000][/font][font "Times New Roman, Times, serif"][#000000][li] Ethanol also eats away at fiberglass-based marine fuel tanks, which not only destroys fuel tanks but also ends up clogging boat engines with the debris. [/li][/#000000][/font][font "Times New Roman, Times, serif"][#000000]

[/#000000][/font]sing renewable resources like ethanol to reduce our need for foreign oil sounds great. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 required that 4 billion gallons of such fuel be added to motor fuel in 2006, with that number nearly doubling by 2012. But when the gas known as E10, with 10 percent ethanol, flowed at some marinas this past summer, boats started ... stopping. With preparation, this doesn't have to happen to you.
Mike Monarchi, product manager for Pennzoil, has been paying close attention to the move to ethanol. "In cars we consume fuel rapidly and fuel systems don't collect contaminant s that form in our boats," he says.

"The problem comes when boaters switch to E10 from MTBE fuel," Monarchi says, referring to the common fuel additive that helps gas burn cleaner. "Ethanol is a solvent and loosens varnish, rust and particulates that form on marine fuel tanks, lines and delivery systems over time. Switch to ethanol and the sludge is dissolved, loosened and sent through the fuel system."
The transition means you'll need to inspect and change fuel filters more frequently to remove the particulates. If you don't, fuel flow can be interrupted, or worse, deposits will form in fuel injectors or carburetors, sending your boat to intensive care.
Most production runabouts have polyethylene or aluminum tanks, which are impervious to ethanol, but larger, older boats sometimes have fiberglass fuel tanks that aren't up to the dissolving power of ethanol. Ask your dealer to inspect your boat to see if you're in the clear.
Another problem with ethanol is its ability to absorb water even through an air vent.
"If a fuel system isn't airtight, ethanol will absorb 10 times the water of MTBE," says Monarchi. "It will actually pull water out of the air. That makes shelf life shorter. If you leave ethanol in the tank for three months, it continues to pull water, and it stratifies into the fuel."
That stratified fuel — think of oil floating on water — becomes unburnable.
So what should you do when your local gas pump switches to ethanol?
Monarchi thinks it may be wise to drain or burn fuel as close as possible to empty before refueling with ethanol.

"To stop fuel stratification, use non-alcohol-based fuel stabilizer," says Monarchi. "You don't want to add more alcohol. Add the appropriate amount in every tankful for at least the next year." With E10 fuel, stabilizers like those from Pennzoil, Sta-bil and PRI-G are more important than ever — all season long.
John McKnight, director of environmental safety compliance for the NMMA, has been up to his elbows in the ethanol transition.
"We're going to get through the E10 transition. Our members' engines will handle it," he says. Yamaha Marine and Volvo Penta sent out press releases giving boaters the same reassurance.
But the ethanol issue may be far from over as its use increases. Minnesota, for example, wants to have E20 — fuel with 20 percent ethanol — by 2013. That would require significant re-engineering of engines that are now being built to handle E10, which may be the line the boating industry won't cross. As McKnight says, "We'll fight anything over 10 percent."

Getting Ready
When you stow your boat this fall, do it with a full tank and the appropriate amount of stabilizer like Pennzoil's fuel system cleaner and fuel stabilizer or Sta-bil. This will prevent gumming and fuel stratification, and give you a head start for the fuel transition. Visit [url "http://www.pennzoil.com/"]pennzoil.com[/url].
In the spring, go joy riding and burn the fuel, as close to empty as possible, before you go back to refill. Add fuel stabilizers again and do it every time you fill up the tank.
Add a new fuel/water separator to your fuel line. Yamaha developed a 10-micron filter for its engines with a 98 percent efficiency level that guarantees it will stop the water without slowing the fuel flow. It'll work on any engine. Visit [url "http://www.yamaha-motor.com/"]yamaha-motor.com[/url].
Check your filter regularly for gum and debris. Carry a spare filter cartridge with you at all times. It's good insurance against breakdowns from clogged filters.
[signature]

[jmp71]

Thanks, I didn't do what I should Have winter the boat started right up though. Hopefully changing some filters will be all I have to do this year.
[signature]

[jmp71]

I didn't winterize my boat tis year. It did start right up though. I hope just changing some filters and seperators will be all I have to do.
[signature]

[davetclown]

some times you get lucky, some times ya dont, I did this year...

the motor on my boat wasnt winterized, I had to run carb cleaner in the gas to burn off the varnish in the jet valves of the carb...

after about a tank of new gas, it started running better and the gas milage picked back up as well,

the least you should do on the last day of the year you run it is put stabelizer in the gas and run it in to the carb... it helps a lot....

then if you can use that gas in your snow blower chain saw leaf blower or anything else that uses mix gas. just siphen it out of the tank. or if you have an extra male you can plug in to your fuel line you can pump it out of the tank....

but if ya dont get lucky, the water in the gas can rust in side the jet valves causing your motor to flood out or starve it for gas... varnish can build up on your plugs and any moving parts in your carb.
[signature]